okinawaChris

Sanrensho - Thanks for the information. The English version of the Tokyo Sushi Academy is not working for me. Is there a contact e-mail listed on their website you could provide so I may contact the school? Thanks...

Well I've been back in the states for almost a year now after my 3-year stint in beautiful Okinawa. I've been developing a Kushiyaki/Yakitori concept for development here in the states and I have most of the plan laid out. The concept will feature cooking over bincho, Jidori Chicken and utilizing specialty salts and sauces either from Japan or of Japanese origin. While my background is the Restaurant/Culinary business, the missing ingredient is actual training time in a yakitori concept in Japan. While there is the obvious benefit of this training to perfect needed skills for operational efficiency, the marketing angle can't be overlooked as well which brings me to my question. Does anyone know of a culinary school that may feature a course on Yakitori or even better would be to volunteer to work as an apprentice in an actual Yakitori restaurant to "learn the ropes". Any help or advice would be as always greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Come on down! There are plenty of A&W's in Okinawa but I would stick with the Onion Rings and not their burgers which are sub-par at best. Their Chili-Cheese Fries do remind of home though! I agree with Kris about Freshness Burger. I visited one in Shinjuku during a recent trip up to Tokyo and really enjoyed it. They are very similiar in size to MOS but the quality of toppings seemed higher. They also had a superior bun. It seems like MOS is heading more into the mainstream fast-food sector with rigid uniformity while Freshness Burger was like going to your neighborhood buger joint where everything was homemade. Kua'Aina is good but I just find their prices to be too high for what you get but it is a cool theme. Now that I figured out their "taste" secret I can make them at home! But as my time in Japan comes to a close, I'll rest easy knowing that I'll soon be in the epicenter of hamburgerdom.....California! I look forward to waiting in the drive-through of the greatest burger chain in the world....In-n-Out! It makes leaving bearable somehow There was A&W in Bali!!??? Crap! I'd have made a special trip if I had known, but I never left Ubud... The A&Ws in Japan are all in Okinawa. They do have onion rings, and root beer, so I guess it's time I visited Okinawa! They're opening new ones all the time, so you never know when it might happen! Maybe I'll hit Mos Burger after I go to the gym today (bringing this back on topic). I can burn all those burger calories more efficiently if I eat after I exercise! ←

Your best bet for Southern Style BBQ would actually be at the Hard Rock Cafe for their "Pig Sandwich". I had it at their Osaka CityWalk location a few months ago and it was quite authentic. http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes/sm...se.aspx?lc=TOKY As for pizza, the local style Japanese pizza is usually made with a cracker-thin crust very similiar to NYC Style. The problem will come in regards to the toppings and sauce....corn & mayo! If you have access to any of the US Bases around Tokyo you'll be able to get some tastes of home at their various restaurants. There is a place called David's Deli which lists Pastrami & Corned Beef as specialites. It is in Mita and you can find it online at another website. Also, Nathan's famous opened up in Harajuku with authentic Coney Island Hot Dogs.

I'll be heading up to Tokyo next month for the FoodEx Show and would like to visit one of the Food Amusement Parks for some professional research. My time will be short so I'll have to pick only one. I've heard about the Curry Museum in Yokohama as well as Gyoza Stadium. Are there any others? What would be the concensus of the best one to visit. On another note, I am planning on also going to Tonki for their tonkatsu. Is it still the best in Tokyo? Is it difficult to locate for someone not too familiar with the city? I may also hot Inakaya if funds hold out ;-)

This is by far our favorite dressing. A creamy style sesame dressing but at 900 JPY per bottle, it is a bit expensive.

Speaking of miso-based sauce, I had some great lamb with a red miso sauce on my last visit to our favorite yakiniku parlor. To make a miso sauce for yakiniku, do you simply marinate in red miso paste or are there other ingredients mixed in? Any pictures of what type of red miso to buy in the market would be appreciated as well!

We talked about ton-toro quite a while back, but we had some for dinner last night and this stuff is so tender! Before cooking ← Does Ton-Toro come from the loin section? It looks wonderfully marbled....the sure sign of flavor!

Thanks again for the further clarification. Looks like I'll be spending my time at the FoodEx show after all. As for restaurants while I'm there....I plan to get to Tonki to sample some of their famous Tonkatsu. I would also like input from the group concerning if Inakaya is worth the expense...I'll be traveling solo so I'll have to find a dining companion. I'm also planning on hitting one of the Food Amusement Parks while in Tokyo for some research. Any advice as to Gyoza Stadium or the Curry one in Yokohama?

Thanks so much Hiroyuki! I'm looking forward to hearing their response....

It wasn't the sauce the marinates the beef prior to grilling....it was a sauce you made yourself from the four condiments and is meant for dipping the cooked items. I would have to describe it as a Very Sweet Soy Sauce with the same consistency. Possibly Soy mixed with Mirin but I didn't detect any alcohol in it. I hope this isn't too vague. I should have asked what it was on my previous visit but my lack of Japanese may have confused the matter.

Last night we went to our favorite local, All You Can Eat Yakiniku parlor and had a great time. The dipping sauce you make yourself really sets off the flavors of the grilled meats. I always thought the four bottles on the tabletop were plain Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Minced Garlic and Red Miso. On this particular visit I happened to try each individually to see what they really were. The Miso and Garlic were correct, but the others I had wrong. The one I thought was vinegar is what I believe to be lemon juice. The other one has me stumped. It was a very sweet soy based sauce with a caramel color. Is there "sweet" soy available in the markets or does this sauce go by another name. Here is the link to the restaurant we went to: http://www.tokukei.com/ Thanks again in advance for any insight!

A restaurant and bakery idea....what a novel concept! Sorry to be a SA, but the basics of the industry are simple. Lowest Possible Costs + Highest Possible Volume = $$$$ The "Passion for Food" angle generally leads to one-off restaurants that may or may not last 6 months. The big money in the industry comes from Fast-Food, Fast Casual and the like. A typical Applebee's makes more money per square foot that Per Se or ADNY...it's just the way it is. So from a business perspective the less fashionable operations are the better option for the maximum ROI. This is what a true VC would be looking for....

Corti Bros. is a fine foods retailer based in Sacramento. They have a long history and an excellent reputation. I've personally shopped at their market and you'll be fine ordering from them online.

Interesting article from the Washington Post. I am interested if the perception is true that appearance of the fruit is equal or even more important than the flavor in Japanese culture. Here is a link to a picture of the showroom of the Sembikiya Fruit Store in Tokyo mentioned in the article. It looks more like a high-end jewelry shop than a store selling fruit.....then again at over 10,000 JPY for a melon I guess they have their design right! http://www.sembikiya.co.jp/nu_pro/nu_honten.html EDITED to change the link, the fruit store is the second picture down. Click on it to see it larger.